[Corrected 1/27/10, 3:00 pm (see below).] Seattle-based venture firm Voyager Capital has added a heavy hitter from the local tech scene to its advisory board. He is Steve Singh, chairman and chief executive of Concur Technologies, the Redmond, WA-based software firm focused on corporate travel and expense management. It’s another step in Voyager’s recent efforts … Continue reading “Steve Singh, CEO of Concur, Joins Voyager Capital Advisory Board”
Author: Gregory T. Huang
Greg is a veteran journalist who has covered a wide range of science, technology, and business. As former editor in chief, he overaw daily news, features, and events across Xconomy's national network. Before joining Xconomy, he was a features editor at New Scientist magazine, where he edited and wrote articles on physics, technology, and neuroscience. Previously he was senior writer at Technology Review, where he reported on emerging technologies, R&D, and advances in computing, robotics, and applied physics. His writing has also appeared in Wired, Nature, and The Atlantic Monthly’s website. He was named a New York Times professional fellow in 2003.
Greg is the co-author of Guanxi (Simon & Schuster, 2006), about Microsoft in China and the global competition for talent and technology. Before becoming a journalist, he did research at MIT’s Artificial Intelligence Lab. He has published 20 papers in scientific journals and conferences and spoken on innovation at Adobe, Amazon, eBay, Google, HP, Microsoft, Yahoo, and other organizations. He has a Master’s and Ph.D. in electrical engineering and computer science from MIT, and a B.S. in electrical engineering from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.
Inside Seattle Genetics’ Big Partnership, Motricity Files for $250M IPO, VC Stats for 2009, & That’s About It for Seattle-Area Deals News
It was a quiet week for deals in the Northwest—too quiet. Maybe companies are steering clear of breaking news so they don’t get drowned out by all the big quarterly earnings news and Apple’s much-anticipated product announcement tomorrow. Probably there’s a storm coming. —Ryan took us inside a major partnership between Bothell, WA-based Seattle Genetics … Continue reading “Inside Seattle Genetics’ Big Partnership, Motricity Files for $250M IPO, VC Stats for 2009, & That’s About It for Seattle-Area Deals News”
What Entrepreneurs Need Most in 2010—and Which Seattle Startups Are Hiring
January for startup companies is a little like spring training for baseball teams. Everyone is 0-0, they have the whole year in front of them, and anything is possible. With that in mind, I recently checked in with Rebecca Lovell, the executive director (and commissioner?) of the Northwest Entrepreneur Network, to hear her thoughts on … Continue reading “What Entrepreneurs Need Most in 2010—and Which Seattle Startups Are Hiring”
Bill Gates Posts Annual Letter, Backs Khosla
Bill Gates has posted his 2010 annual letter for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The letter focuses on innovation and the foundation’s efforts in education, food, and health—tackling ambitious projects in online learning, agriculture, vaccines, malaria, and HIV, to name a few. Gates also has invested in Vinod Khosla’s most recent clean energy fund, … Continue reading “Bill Gates Posts Annual Letter, Backs Khosla”
Ground Truth Emerges from Stealth, Provides New Window Into Mobile Internet Usage
It’s been hard to keep a company like Ground Truth under wraps for this long. The secretive Seattle startup, led by prominent entrepreneurs Sterling Wilson and Michael “Luni” Libes, is emerging from stealth mode today, after raising $2.6 million in venture funding from Voyager Capital and Steamboat Ventures last summer. Although many in the startup … Continue reading “Ground Truth Emerges from Stealth, Provides New Window Into Mobile Internet Usage”
Motricity Files for IPO
Bellevue, WA-based Motricity, a mobile software firm, has filed a form S-1 with the SEC, saying it plans to sell up to $250 million in an initial public offering. The company generated more than $100 million in revenue in 2008, and $117.1 million in the 12 months ending on September 30, 2009, but it is … Continue reading “Motricity Files for IPO”
Real Names New Head of Music, Media, Tech
Seattle-based RealNetworks has announced that Mike Lunsford has been named executive vice president of the Technology Products and Solutions and Media Software and Services divisions of the company. Lunsford, who joined Real in 2008, was previously executive vice president of strategic ventures, in charge of strategy and operations for Rhapsody America, the company’s digital music … Continue reading “Real Names New Head of Music, Media, Tech”
Friend or Foe: How Apple Is Forcing Microsoft, Amazon, Google, and AT&T to Raise Their Game
Apple’s increasing overlap with other technology companies—including mainstays of the Seattle and Boston scenes—is one of the biggest business trends of the year. It doesn’t matter whether you are the world’s biggest software company (Microsoft), a Web search and advertising titan (Google), an online retail giant (Amazon), a wireless carrier (AT&T), a digital music startup … Continue reading “Friend or Foe: How Apple Is Forcing Microsoft, Amazon, Google, and AT&T to Raise Their Game”
State Cleantech Experts Debate Policy, Finance, and Global Opportunities at MITEF Event
“The easy answer is, ‘Of course it will,’” said panel moderator Jesse Berst, the head of Redmond, WA-based research and consulting firm GlobalSmartEnergy. He was referring to the title of last night’s event in downtown Seattle organized by the MIT Enterprise Forum: “Will Green Return the Green?” It’s a reasonable question, especially here in Washington … Continue reading “State Cleantech Experts Debate Policy, Finance, and Global Opportunities at MITEF Event”
Bill Gates, Opening Up to World of Social Media, Rolls Out New Website and Twitter Feed
It feels like the dawn of a new era. As of yesterday, Bill Gates is officially on Twitter, where he has already attracted more than 235,000 followers in the first day or so. Gates also just announced a new website, called the Gates Notes, where he will be sharing his thoughts (that extend greater than … Continue reading “Bill Gates, Opening Up to World of Social Media, Rolls Out New Website and Twitter Feed”
Visible Gets $22M to Expand, Tantalus Tracks Down $14M for Smart Grid, Avnera Closes $10M for Audio Chips, & More Seattle-Area Deals News
The past week has been pretty busy in the Northwest, with a number of deals in software, Internet, electronics, and cleantech. And the activity wasn’t limited to Seattle—there’s a fair bit of news from Vancouver and Portland as well. —Tantalus, a Burnaby, BC-based company that develops wireless networks for smart-grid applications, raised $14 million in … Continue reading “Visible Gets $22M to Expand, Tantalus Tracks Down $14M for Smart Grid, Avnera Closes $10M for Audio Chips, & More Seattle-Area Deals News”
Cloudvox Bought by Ifbyphone
Seattle-based Cloudvox, an online service that bridges Web applications with phone services for developers, has been acquired by Ifbyphone, an Internet telephony company based in Chicago. Terms of the deal were not given. Cloudvox was developed by Seven Scale, a startup led by Troy Davis, a former Loudeye and RealNetworks employee.
Ken Myer, Outgoing Head of WTIA, on the Challenges of Trade Associations and Nonprofits—and His Future
First Rob Glaser, then Ken Myer. Who’s next? (These things always seem to come in threes.) As a journalist, it can be hard to take off a holiday like MLK Day—you never know what juicy news you’re going to miss. Myer announced yesterday that he’s stepping down from his post as CEO and president of … Continue reading “Ken Myer, Outgoing Head of WTIA, on the Challenges of Trade Associations and Nonprofits—and His Future”
Tantalus Raises New Financing for Smart-Grid Wireless Technologies
[Updated 1/20/10, 10:10 am. See below.] Cleantech wireless networking firm Tantalus, based in Burnaby, BC, has raised about $13.5 million in new equity financing, according to a regulatory filing. The round was led by the Silicon Valley firm Redpoint Ventures, and other existing investors also participated, according to a press release issued by Tantalus after … Continue reading “Tantalus Raises New Financing for Smart-Grid Wireless Technologies”
Avnera Closes $10M Series D
Beaverton, OR-based Avnera, which makes chips for wireless audio and other consumer electronics applications, announced today it has closed a $10 million Series D financing. The money was raised from new investor Onkyo, as well as existing investors. This is part of the same funding round we reported on in November, when the company had … Continue reading “Avnera Closes $10M Series D”
Cheezburger, Zillow Top Startup List
Seattle-based Cheezburger Network, a collection of humor websites, retained its top position in Seattle 2.0’s monthly rankings of local startups’ Web traffic for December. It was followed by Zillow, Picnik, and BuddyTV, whose rankings didn’t change from the previous month. Redmond, WA-based Smilebox, a maker of electronic greeting cards, moved up seven spots to #5. … Continue reading “Cheezburger, Zillow Top Startup List”
Washington Startups Raised $21.7M in December, Down from $44.4M in Previous Month
Just a quick recap of the venture deals in Washington state from the last month of 2009. Things really slowed down heading into the dead of winter, with just four venture financings, all in software and Internet, worth a total of $21.7 million (see table below). That’s less than half the money invested in November, … Continue reading “Washington Startups Raised $21.7M in December, Down from $44.4M in Previous Month”
CEO Ken Myer to Leave WTIA
The Washington Technology Industry Association announced today that CEO and president Ken Myer is leaving his post at the end of March to return to the tech industry. Myer has headed the WTIA, one of the largest statewide associations of technology firms, for about three years, during which it made the transition from the Washington … Continue reading “CEO Ken Myer to Leave WTIA”
T.A. McCann Talks New Partnership with IBM’s Lotus Notes, Gist Strategy for 2010
Seattle startup Gist announced today that its technology for connecting people’s e-mail inbox with the Web now works, in limited release, with Lotus Notes, IBM’s popular communication and collaboration software. Gist’s software will be made available to a select group of Lotus Notes customers in advance of a wider release still to come. It’s part … Continue reading “T.A. McCann Talks New Partnership with IBM’s Lotus Notes, Gist Strategy for 2010”
Rob Glaser’s Real Legacy: A New Mass Medium, New Markets, and Constant Reinvention
The biggest news in a very busy week around the Seattle technology scene has been that Rob Glaser is out as chief executive of RealNetworks. Glaser stepped down on Wednesday after 16 years at the helm, but he remains chairman of the board and Real’s largest shareholder. Back in 1994, after leaving Microsoft, Glaser founded … Continue reading “Rob Glaser’s Real Legacy: A New Mass Medium, New Markets, and Constant Reinvention”
AboutUs Buys Jyte, Works with JanRain
Portland, OR-based AboutUs announced this week it has acquired Jyte.com, a social website where people can make claims, vet ideas, and comment on others’. Financial terms were not given. Jyte uses RPX, the flagship technology of Portland startup JanRain that lets people use a single portable identity and login across different websites. AboutUs, which is … Continue reading “AboutUs Buys Jyte, Works with JanRain”
Google in China: Ex-Microsoft VP Kai-Fu Lee’s Past Report Might Point to What Went Wrong
In the fascinating maelstrom that is Google in China, one thing is clear: this affects all of us. It’s not about whether Google’s decision to draw a line in the sand is based on ideals versus profits. It’s not about whether the Chinese government will open up its Internet policies and play ball with the … Continue reading “Google in China: Ex-Microsoft VP Kai-Fu Lee’s Past Report Might Point to What Went Wrong”
Intellectual Ventures Hires New President
Bellevue, WA-based Intellectual Ventures announced this week it has hired Adriane M. Brown as president and chief operating officer, responsible for day-to-day operations. She succeeds Edward Jung, the Intellectual Ventures co-founder, who is returning to his role as chief technology officer. Brown was most recently senior vice president of energy strategy at Honeywell International, and … Continue reading “Intellectual Ventures Hires New President”
Going nuTsie: Melodeo Looks to Beat Apple to the Punch with New Cloud-Based Music Service
Things have been crazy busy over at Melodeo for the past month. I don’t think any of those guys took time off during the holidays this year. As I detailed in a story earlier this week, the Seattle-based company has been ramping up its long-standing efforts in cloud-based music delivery ever since Apple acquired its … Continue reading “Going nuTsie: Melodeo Looks to Beat Apple to the Punch with New Cloud-Based Music Service”
RealNetworks CEO Rob Glaser Steps Down
Rob Glaser, the founder and chief executive of Seattle-based RealNetworks, has stepped down, according to a company statement. Glaser will remain chairman of the board. “After nearly 16 years, I’ve decided it’s time for me to step away from day-to-day operations,” Glaser said in a statement. “I’m grateful to all of our stakeholders—customers, partners, shareholders, … Continue reading “RealNetworks CEO Rob Glaser Steps Down”
Visible Technologies Tracks Down $22M for Global Expansion
Things are really heating up for Visible Technologies. The Bellevue, WA-based maker of software to help companies monitor social media and manage their online reputations announced today it has raised a Series C funding round worth $22 million. The round was led by a new investor—Investor Growth Capital (IGC), the growth-stage venture arm of Investor … Continue reading “Visible Technologies Tracks Down $22M for Global Expansion”
Big Fish Expands Deal with PlayFirst
Seattle-based Big Fish Games, a developer, publisher, and distributor of casual video games, has expanded its existing strategic partnership with San Francisco-based PlayFirst. As of today, Big Fish will provide e-commerce and customer support services for PlayFirst’s game distribution portal, while PlayFirst gets access to Big Fish’s catalog of games. Financial terms weren’t given, but … Continue reading “Big Fish Expands Deal with PlayFirst”
Where the Jobs Are: PayScale Lands New Board Member, Exposes Three Trends in Human Capital
Whether you’re a startup founder, Fortune 500 executive, or average Joe on the street, everyone is wondering what 2010 will look like for jobs and compensation. Indications so far are not good. Unemployment rates are sky-high. Salary freezes are still rampant. At the same time, nobody can seem to agree on how to pay executives … Continue reading “Where the Jobs Are: PayScale Lands New Board Member, Exposes Three Trends in Human Capital”
DataSphere and Halosource Get Funded, Sage Signs Up Pfizer, Zymo Raises $90M, & More Seattle-Area Deals News
2010 is off to a pretty fast start in terms of Northwest deals. We’ve already seen a lot of action in biotech, software, and cleantech. —Seattle-based InstantService, a provider of live chat services, was acquired by Art Technology Group (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ARTG]]) of Cambridge, MA, an e-commerce software firm, for $17 million in cash, as Wade … Continue reading “DataSphere and Halosource Get Funded, Sage Signs Up Pfizer, Zymo Raises $90M, & More Seattle-Area Deals News”
Melodeo, Making Big Push in Online Music, Eyes Apple in the Cloud
OK, so you’re a small, profitable tech company in the digital media sector. Your closest competitor just got acquired by Apple. Now Steve Jobs is encroaching on your territory. How do you want to play it? That’s the situation Seattle-based Melodeo faces after Apple paid a reported $85 million last month to buy online music … Continue reading “Melodeo, Making Big Push in Online Music, Eyes Apple in the Cloud”
Buerk Dale Victor Renamed Montlake Capital
Seattle-based venture capital and private equity firm Buerk Dale Victor announced today it has changed its name to Montlake Capital. The new name recognizes the firm’s evolution from a local partnership (founded in 1999) to a regional investment team with partners in Washington, Oregon, Montana, and Idaho. Montlake Capital has $100 million under management, and … Continue reading “Buerk Dale Victor Renamed Montlake Capital”
DreamBox, Gist, VholdR Among WTIA Finalists
The Washington Technology Industry Association (WTIA) announced today the finalists for its 15th annual Industry Achievement Awards on March 4. Among the nominees are DreamBox Learning, Gist, and VholdR (for breakthrough startup of the year); Cheezburger Network, Cozi, and Picnik (for consumer product); Apptio, Concur, and Talyst (for commercial product); and Neah Power Systems, Pathway … Continue reading “DreamBox, Gist, VholdR Among WTIA Finalists”
Jive Posts Record Revenue
Portland, OR-based Jive Software, a maker of social business software, posted an 85 percent increase in full-year revenue in 2009 as compared with the previous year, according to a blog post today from CEO Dave Hersh. That made 2009 “the most successful year in Jive’s history,” and the company was cash-flow positive for the year, … Continue reading “Jive Posts Record Revenue”
Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh’s Unique Take on Startup Hiring and Culture
What’s more annoying than a 24-year-old who sells his company to Microsoft for $265 million and never has to work another day in his life? Easy. When that same guy sells his next company to Amazon.com for more than $1 billion. OK, so it took 10 more years of hard work, but Tony Hsieh, now … Continue reading “Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh’s Unique Take on Startup Hiring and Culture”
MIT MBA Students: Amazon, Google, and T-Mobile Are Hiring, Expedia Isn’t; Microsoft “Super Interesting,” Apple Is “Sterile”
[Updated 3:30pm 1/9/10 with clarification (see below)] If you want to know which companies are looking to hire top young business talent around town, just ask the group of 20 or so first-year MBA students from MIT Sloan School of Management. The students from Cambridge, MA, are in Seattle this week looking to make contacts … Continue reading “MIT MBA Students: Amazon, Google, and T-Mobile Are Hiring, Expedia Isn’t; Microsoft “Super Interesting,” Apple Is “Sterile””
Of Slates, Tablets, and Kindles: The Most Important Message of CES 2010
Lost amidst the cacophony of the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas is a simple message. It has nothing to do with what Microsoft did or didn’t announce—for example, some upcoming “slate PCs,” but no foldable book-like tablet or other rumored gadgetry. It has nothing to do with Google’s Nexus One “superphone,” with HTC and … Continue reading “Of Slates, Tablets, and Kindles: The Most Important Message of CES 2010”
Three Questions on Hyperlocal Advertising with Satbir Khanuja, CEO of DataSphere
In the world of news media these days, there’s no getting away from two things: online advertising, and hyperlocal sites. Where they meet is a company called DataSphere in Bellevue, WA. On Tuesday, we reported that DataSphere had raised $10.8 million in Series B funding. The investors in the new round are Ignition Partners, also … Continue reading “Three Questions on Hyperlocal Advertising with Satbir Khanuja, CEO of DataSphere”
SpectraWatt, Now in NY, Gains $12M
Solar cell manufacturer SpectraWatt, a spinoff from Intel formerly based in Hillsboro, OR, has raised $12 million in equity, debt, and options (out of a $41.4 million offering), according to a regulatory filing. The investors were not disclosed. Last spring, SpectraWatt announced it was moving its headquarters to upstate New York, citing “green business incentives.” … Continue reading “SpectraWatt, Now in NY, Gains $12M”
OVP Leads $9M Investment in Aggregate Knowledge, Gets Serious About Online Ads
Kirkland, WA-based OVP Venture Partners is leading a new $9 million Series C financing round in Aggregate Knowledge, an online advertising and analytics firm in San Mateo, CA. Kleiner Perkins Caufield and Byers, DAG Ventures, and original angel investors are also participating. In connection with the deal, OVP managing director Lucinda Stewart is joining the … Continue reading “OVP Leads $9M Investment in Aggregate Knowledge, Gets Serious About Online Ads”
DataSphere Raises $10.8M to Help Media Companies Manage Hyperlocal Websites (and Make Money)
Bellevue, WA-based DataSphere, an Internet software and advertising sales company, has raised $10.8 million in equity and options, according to a filing with the SEC. The investors in the round were not disclosed, but the company is backed by the venture firm Ignition Partners, also based in Bellevue. John Connors of Ignition is listed on … Continue reading “DataSphere Raises $10.8M to Help Media Companies Manage Hyperlocal Websites (and Make Money)”
The 12 Days of Xconomists: Leading Innovators Give Their Top Advances of the Past Decade
Over the last few weeks, as the holiday season heated up and the decade wound down, we reached out to our distinguished network of Xconomists—who include many of the top technologists, scientists, and business innovators in our three cities—and asked them (and a few more tech and life sciences leaders) to describe the most important … Continue reading “The 12 Days of Xconomists: Leading Innovators Give Their Top Advances of the Past Decade”
Stephen Wolfram Talks Bing Partnership, Software Strategy, and the Future of Knowledge Computing
There is something oddly human about Stephen Wolfram using his iPhone to look up the mass of the “cascade hyperon,” a subatomic particle with who-knows-what properties. That’s what Wolfram, one of the world’s most distinguished experts in physics and computing, was doing on the day we spoke a few weeks ago. Maybe it stood out … Continue reading “Stephen Wolfram Talks Bing Partnership, Software Strategy, and the Future of Knowledge Computing”
RealNetworks Acquires Varia Mobile
RealNetworks (NASDAQ: [[ticker:RNWK]]) confirmed it has acquired Seattle startup Varia Mobile for an undisclosed price. The news was first reported by TechFlash. Varia makes content distribution and publishing software for mobile phones. The startup was founded in 2007 and already has a strategic alliance with RealNetworks. The deal also fits with Real’s increasing focus on … Continue reading “RealNetworks Acquires Varia Mobile”
Livemocha Scores $8M Series B Round, Looks to Expand Globally with New Partnerships
Now here’s an interesting deal from a company we’ve had our eye on for a while. Bellevue, WA-based Livemocha, which runs a popular language-learning website, announced today it has raised $8 million in Series B financing, led by new investor August Capital in Menlo Park, CA. Existing venture investor Maveron, based in Seattle, also participated … Continue reading “Livemocha Scores $8M Series B Round, Looks to Expand Globally with New Partnerships”
Zulily Gets Funded, Ontela Merges with Photobucket, OncoGenex Secures $60M from Teva, & More Seattle-Area Deals News
It was another pretty busy week for deals in the Northwest, as everyone scrambled to beat the holiday rush. Lots of action in biotech, Internet, and mobile. —Seattle-based ZymoGenetics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ZGEN]]) is getting back the full rights to its drug for surgical bleeding in the U.S. and every other country except Canada, under a restructured … Continue reading “Zulily Gets Funded, Ontela Merges with Photobucket, OncoGenex Secures $60M from Teva, & More Seattle-Area Deals News”
Vulcan Capital President Leaves
Seattle-based Vulcan Capital, Paul Allen’s investment firm, has confirmed today that president Chris Temple has left the company by mutual agreement. The news was first reported by TechFlash. Temple joined Vulcan Capital in 2008 and was promoted to president last May. In an interview with Xconomy at the time, Temple said the job was “rewarding, … Continue reading “Vulcan Capital President Leaves”
Ex-Microsoft CFO Liddell Joins GM
Chris Liddell, Microsoft’s former chief financial officer, has been named CFO and vice chairman of General Motors, the Detroit-based automaker. Liddell will lead GM’s global financial and accounting operations starting in the new year, and will report directly to Ed Whitacre, GM’s chairman and CEO. GM says it employs 209,000 people around the world and … Continue reading “Ex-Microsoft CFO Liddell Joins GM”
The New Google: Internet Giant Opens Up About Real-Time and Local Search, Cloud Computing, and Data Liberation
When it comes to product and business strategy, Google is one of the most secretive companies around. So I was pleased when the Internet giant agreed to grant me a series of interviews last week, most of them with senior product managers from its Mountain View, CA, headquarters. I touched on elements of Google’s technology … Continue reading “The New Google: Internet Giant Opens Up About Real-Time and Local Search, Cloud Computing, and Data Liberation”
Melodeo Spoofs Apple-IBM Ad, Welcomes Steve Jobs to the Cloud
Anyone else out there remember the famous 1981 ad by Apple in the Wall Street Journal, welcoming competitor IBM into the personal computer age? The ad was Apple’s stake in the ground, saying it had invented the first PC system—and predicting massive growth and competition in the burgeoning industry. The rest, as they say, is … Continue reading “Melodeo Spoofs Apple-IBM Ad, Welcomes Steve Jobs to the Cloud”
TechStars in Seattle Will Be “Centralizing Force” for Entrepreneurs and Startups, Investors Say
Not to hype this too much, but TechStars coming to town could be the rallying point for a new generation of high-tech entrepreneurship in Seattle—the likes of which we haven’t seen before. At least, that’s the word from two of the main investors responsible for bringing the tech startup program here. (By now, most of … Continue reading “TechStars in Seattle Will Be “Centralizing Force” for Entrepreneurs and Startups, Investors Say”